This invention relates to a carry-on case having an extendable and retractable handle and will have specific application to a locking device by which the handle may be secured in a fully collapsed position or released into extended positions.
The carry-on case of this invention includes a base and a connected lid. The base carries wheels and a handle is pivotally carried by the lid. The handle is shiftable relative to the lid between a lowered position overlying the lid and a raised position extending upwardly from the lid. The handle is extendable between a collapsed position in which the grip part of the handle is adjacent the lid and an extended position in which the grip part is substantially spaced from the lid and base while the handle is in its lowered position. The handle includes a releasable lock formed of upwardly and downwardly extending pin parts each accessible when the handle is in an extended position. When the handle is collapsed, the grip part covers the upwardly extending pin parts. The downwardly extending pin parts are then utilized to release the handle from its collapsed position for movement into its extended positions.
Heretofore, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,143, the grip part of the handle when the handle is secured in its collapsed position was slightly spaced from the handle cross brace, adjacent the lid of the case. While this would enable the user of the carry-on case to carry the case by gripping the spaced but collapsed handle at its grip part, it also provided a ready means by which baggage handlers should the case be checked during airplane flights could easily throw the case during handling. Such handling was prone to damaging the case. In this invention the releasable lock for the handle has been improved so as to enable the grip part of the handle to be located snugly against the case in a locked position thus providing no ready means by which a baggage handler may use the handle grip part for locating the case.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide an improved carry-on case in which the extendable handle used to pull the case may be fully secured in a collapsed position against the case.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description.